


A Contained Spark

by Mandy Of Endsville (Skye)



Category: The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Deleted from FanFiction.Net, Don't say I didn't warn you, Gen, it's friendship only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-10-15
Updated: 2003-10-15
Packaged: 2018-02-09 06:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1972983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye/pseuds/Mandy%20Of%20Endsville
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cindy gets caught up in how other people see her, their high expectations. Even meeting those, she still isn't happy. Is it too late to change?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Contained Spark

**Author's Note:**

> 2014-style author's notes: I had completely forget about this one. Original published date is estimated. I don't want to bump this one to the top of the list while I post it here for archival purposes. It is older, there's a bit I would have done differently with characterization, how the story progressed, etc. today though I still think it's overall not bad. Enjoy? :)

At sixteen years old, Cindy Vortex had everything a girl her age should want. She kept a nice figure through her rigorous exercise routine, which also made her very strong. She studied often to keep up with all the lessons in school, as well as get A+'s in them, and did that well. And of course, after years of trying, she had gotten Nick Dean's attention.

Nick had never noticed her much during the long time that they had known each other. But at the start of this year, he did, and accepted when she asked him to go to homecoming dance with her, and soon enough became her steady boyfriend. She was ecstatic. They were the perfect couple. Well, they certainly looked it, anyway. Many other girls had a crush on Nick, but Cindy had been the one to win him. Although it made a few girls hate her, most of them just wanted to talk to her about what he was like. Cindy had a wonderful reputation, she couldn't wish to be more popular.

Besides having one of the number one desired boys as her boyfriend, she'd also secured her spot as number one academically in her class. She discovered this in December as everyone's report cards were passed out in class. "Looks like you were no competition after all, Neutron." she noted as she looked over Jimmy Neutron's shoulder at his report card.

"It's none of your business." Jimmy said as he crumpled up his card.

"Couldn't keep up in Gym?" she teased.

"I'll make it up next semester."

"Too late. I'll still have all A's and you won't. That's what matters."

"Maybe to you." Jimmy stated simply. "I have other things I worry about besides being number one at everything."

"Like your stupid experiments?" Cindy said mockingly.

"Yes, like my experiments, but there's also my friends. I actually have some that I don't have to impress to keep."

Cindy flushed a little with fury. "Who says I'm worried about being number one, anyway? I just am. And I have _plenty_ of great friends."

"If you say." Jimmy said calmly. "But what are you doing with someone like Nick, if it isn't just to make a few false friends?"

"Nick and I are as close as close can be, so take your butt and move it somewhere else." Cindy said a little too loudly.

She set off the class' default immaturity. "Nick and Cindy, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Sheen Estevez chanted. All of the other boys in the class laughed, except for Nick and a few of his friends.

"Not funny." Nick walked over and smacked him before he could continue as the bell rang and they went out of class. "Were these guys bothering you?" he asked Cindy.

"No, not really." Cindy said, although they were.

"Good. Then I don't have to kick their ass."

"Good." Cindy now smiled. "Want to walk me home?" she asked.

"Na, I have other stuff to do. Later." Nick ran off with his friends, obviously to do some vandalism to celebrate the Winter Break.

Cindy chose to walk home with Libby. Snow started to fall as they went. "Why do you let Neutron bother you so much?" Libby asked.

"I don't. That egomaniac doesn't bother me at all." Cindy insisted.

"If you say." Libby said calmly. She had learned through experience that it was best not to argue with her friend over little things like this.

At that moment, Jimmy and his friends ran by laughing. Sheen suddenly stopped to talk to the girls. "Hey guys, I mean girls," he began, speaking very quickly. "We're going to go to the Candy Bar after Jimmy gets cleaned up, want to come with us it's to celebrate school being out. I mean it might be fun or something, we can-"

"Woah, slow down." Libby said.

"The Candy Bar? You still stuck in elementary school, Sheen?" Cindy said. Libby giggled.

"So you'll come?" Sheen asked, as all three of them caught up to Jimmy and Carl.

"No way. I have better things to do than waste my time at the Candy Bar with you freaks." Cindy said.

"Ah, perhaps go throw eggs at the school building and random students like your forever intellectually stimulating boyfriend?" Jimmy suggested. Everyone except Cindy laughed. They all noticed the egg on Jimmy's shirt, he was obviously one of Nick's victims.

"No, I'm just going to go home." Cindy walked up to her doorstep, they can reached her house. "And study."

"Have fun then." Jimmy called.

"I think I'd like to come." Libby said to Sheen. "It'll probably be fun."

"Great! Let's go!" Sheen shouted, tugging on the arms of Jimmy and Libby.

"I still have to get cleaned up, Sheen!" Jimmy protested.

"And I'm going to go drop off my backpack." Libby said.

"I have to do both." Carl said.

"Okay. We meet here in five minutes. Don't be late!" Sheen shouted, then ran off towards his house.

Cindy stood at her doorstep, unnoticed by the others as they all went inside their respective houses. She felt a twinge of jealousy, but quickly pushed it aside, insisting to herself that it was never there. She then went inside, and for the first hour of her winter break, studied alone in her room.  
***  
The next semester of school went horribly. Cindy couldn't seem to keep up with everything, and found herself becoming very irritable at times. Nick hardly ever took her out on dates. He didn't seem much interested in her anymore. Cindy just made a point of showing that they were still together whenever she could. Jimmy, and Libby as well, were both right. She was only using Nick to keep up her reputation with others. Cindy realized this, but didn't think it was so bad. After all, Nick didn't seem to actually like her, anyway.

Libby seemed to be becoming less of her friend slowly but surely as the semester went on. She didn't do or say anything mean to Cindy, she was just around her less and less, seeming to hang around Jimmy and his friends more and more. Libby even told Cindy that he had been dating Sheen. This disgusted Cindy. What Libby could see in that manic Ultralord fan was beyond her. He wasn't as obsessive as he once had been, but still collected the dolls, taped every episode, and could go on hour long rants about the program when cued.

Cindy did Libby the favor of cuing him onto one the next time she saw the pair together. Libby seemed horrified, and Cindy smiled smugly. Her smile soon fell as Libby asked her with an expression, 'What was _that_ for.' Cindy felt a little guilty then. It was kind of nasty of her, and she'd only done it because she was jealous.

Nick was also hanging around her less and less. Whenever she asked him to go anywhere, he was busy. This made Cindy alone as well as lonely more than ever.

But there was one event that neither Nick nor Libby could avoid her for. The final school dance of the year. Nick of course had to go with her. It was going to be a formal affair, and Cindy and Libby always had liked to prepare for those together. She called Libby a week before the event. "Hey girl, what's up?" Libby asked.

"Hey Libby, get over here! We have to pick up our dresses and plan everything out." Cindy replied.

"Okay." Libby said, and was soon over at Cindy's house. They chatted a while, before Libby asked what seemed a weird question to Cindy. "So, who's your date?"

"Nick of course. He is my boyfriend after all." Cindy said.

"Really? Still?"

Cindy then realized how little they had actually been talking, and became a little annoyed about it. "Yes, still."

"He is cute, but I think I should tell you, there's something I don't really like about him." Libby said plainly.

"What, like you should talk." Cindy snapped. "Drooling over your loser boyfriend, Ultralord."

"You mean Sheen? Oh please, we're just friends. I don't even have a boyfriend."

" _Sure_ you don't." Cindy teased. "You and Sheen look really close."

"We've dated a little, but we're not serious at all." Libby explained.

" _Sure_ you're not." Cindy said.

"We're not!" Libby declared, but still seemed jovial about the subject. "You know, Sheen's not even my date to this dance. We're both going with other people."

"You are?" Cindy was now quite interested. "So, who are you going with?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, Jimmy asked me." she said.

"Jimmy?!" Cindy repeated loudly. "As in Jimmy Neutron?"

"Yeah, that Jimmy." Libby said.

"He asked, and you said yes?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"No one else had asked me yet."

"Well, there's plenty of reasons you shouldn't have. Jimmy's only about a foot shorter than you, you'll look so dumb together." Cindy said.

"He might be a foot shorter than you, but I'm not as tall-"

"Also not as _short_ as he obviously is."

"True, but it's still not that much of a difference. We'll be fine, don't worry about it. Maybe Jimmy will wear platform shoes." she giggled.

Cindy was not amused. "It's just the kind of thing that dork would do! Only he'd have some mechanical thing on them that would make him crash through the ceiling and ruin everything for everyone as we had to drag him out in an ambulance." Libby laughed at the visual as Cindy spoke. However, that wasn't the reaction that Cindy was looking for, so she frowned and continued. "Think about what other people will say about you going out with a dork like him!"

"Cindy, I don't really care. I'd rather go with a guy like Jimmy or Sheen and have fun than a guy other people approve of and look good." Libby said.

She hadn't said it to show a parallel to Cindy and Nick, but Cindy saw it anyway, looking away as her face flushed red. She really shouldn't be dating Nick, she thought. It was a stupid idea in the first place, and it was still stupid now. But how else would she keep up her reputation?  
***  
Cindy thought she'd be the belle of the dance, but not even her date seemed interested in her. Since they had arrived, Nick had seemed spaced out, or distracted, always looking anywhere but at her.

"Nick? Hello?" Cindy spoke irritably. "So, do you want to dance or something?" she asked.

"Wha?" Nick turned back towards her, but then quickly looked away again. "Na, maybe later or something." he said, and then dropped her hand as he wandered off towards his friends.

Cindy was quite irritated, but at the same time, scared. She tried to shake the feeling off, but it still lingered. What did she have to be scared about? Other than the fact she was alone in a high school, which wasn't exactly the most dangerous of places, but at the same time most certainly wasn't the nicest of places. She'd never been this lonely before. Cindy looked toward Libby and Jimmy, and almost gravitated towards them. "Hey." she greeted the pair.

"Oh, hey Cindy." Libby smiled and waved at her friend.

"Hello." Jimmy nodded politely.

"Oh, hi Neutron. I didn't notice you there. So, where's your platform shoes? Libby thought you might need them." Cindy smirked.

Jimmy blushed in embarrassment. "Where's your platform boyfriend? I suppose he has more important things to do than come here, like vandalize walls."

"Of course he's here. Nick just went to get some punch." Cindy lied. "What about you? I think you'd have something better to do tonight than hang around us mere mortals, Lord Neutron. Either than or you'd be too out of shape to walk over here."

"There are many flaws in your argument Cindy. I walk here everyday and hang around these same people. You're the one that seems to think you're too good for us." Jimmy retorted.

"Why don't you just shut up, the world could do without another pearl of wisdom from your freakishly large head." Cindy said.

"I-"

"Enough!" Libby stepped between the two. She smiled as they were silent. "Thank you. I'll be over there while you work out your differences." she pointed to the dance floor.

Jimmy sighed as Libby walked away. "Thank you, Cindy." he said with a note of sarcasm.

"You're thanking me? For what?"

"Nothing, it's just that you always know how to ruin things when I'm having a nice time."

Cindy looked away guiltily. She hadn't been trying to ruin things for anyone, she'd just been bored. And arguing with Jimmy had always cured boredom in the past. "You look nice tonight." she said.

"What? Don't tell me that's a compliment, Ms. Vortex."

"Well it is. Go alert the newspapers or something." Cindy said. There was a moment of silence between the two, although the noise was still quite loud around them, it was very uncomfortable for them both. "I'm sorry." Cindy finally spoke, as it seemed Jimmy was trying to get Libby's attention.

"Did you say something, Cindy? I couldn't hear you over everything else." Jimmy spoke honestly.

"I said I'm SORRY!" Cindy now shouted loudly over the loud music.

Now she had Jimmy's attention. "Sorry? What for?" he asked, showing some surprise.

"I'm sorry I ruined your evening. I didn't mean to mess things up with you and Libby."

"Don't worry." Jimmy assured. "You didn't mess things up _too_ badly. Plus, you're always like this, anyway."

"Maybe I don't want to be like that." Cindy said.

"Well it wouldn't be fitting for you to go against your nature." Jimmy said with a smile. Cindy smacked him. "Ow!" he cried.

"Sorry." Cindy apologized again, this time with much less sincerity. "I guess I've been meaner to you than usual because things haven't been going that great for me."

"And what have you got to complain about, with your perfect grades, reputation, and boyfriend?" Jimmy asked.

"Plenty." Cindy said. Jimmy just ignored her.

Nick came over to them. "Hey Cindy, I've been looking all over for you. Me and the guys are going to go throw rocks at cars. Want to come?"

"No, I don't want to come." Cindy said strongly, with a very cross look.

"Your loss." Nick said. "Are you sure, because-"

"Why don't you go invite that redhead I saw you kissing the other day?" Cindy suggested, as she menacingly advanced towards Nick. "And never talk to me again, because we're through." Cindy finished, as she got right up to Nick's face.

Nick stared at her, wide-eyed, as did Jimmy, who couldn't help but overhear the conversation. Nick's expression quickly relaxed. "Okay." he said, and then went off with his friends. Cindy turned the opposite direction as him, looking stormy as she tried desperately not to cry. It worked, Jimmy could only see that she was highly annoyed.

"Wow," Jimmy began. "I guess things are as perfect for you as they looked, Vortex."

"Okay, they're not. Now go ahead and gloat."

"What?" Jimmy looked at her, confused.

Cindy turned away from Jimmy as he tried to walk in front of her. "Yeah, gloat about how you were right about Nick, and how stupid I was, and then go tell Libby about it so she can come and do the same. Go on, get it over with."

"I wouldn't do that." Jimmy said.

"You wouldn't?" Cindy asked.

"Well," Jimmy drawled. "I did mention Nick's vandalism tendencies on more than one occasion..." he said. "And you _did_ just ignore me and say how wonderful he was."

"Okay, enough already." Cindy had lost the urge to cry, and could now argue with Jimmy full force. "I'm miserable like you hoped, now go away."

"Aw, Cindy." Jimmy said sympathetically. "It's never been my intention to see you unhappy. I've always kind of..." Jimmy trailed off.

"Always kind of what?" Cindy asked curiously.

"Well, it's nothing, really." Jimmy said, blushing slightly.

"I really have been dumb this year. But Libby's been more right than you." she stuck her tongue out. "So don't let your head get any bigger over this -- The rest of us might not be able to fit in here.

"Very funny." Jimmy rolled his eyes.

"When Libby started hanging around you, I got really jealous. She was having all this fun with you guys, without me." Cindy twitched a little. "I guess I can give you guys a chance.."

"How kind of you." Jimmy said sarcastically, but regretted it immediately. He really did want to be Cindy's friend, he had hoped to be for a long while, but even when it seemed like they would be, something got in the way. He didn't want the same thing to happen this time.

"Who I am kidding?" Cindy sighed. "I had a lot of fun with you and your group of geeks when we were kids, Jimmy. Even though we were 'enemies'... Even with him around..." Cindy looked with some disgust as Sheen walked by, wearing a purple suit.

"It's the exact color of Ultralord." Jimmy explained the strange attire.

"I see." Cindy raised an eyebrow. "Well, anyway, I guess I got a little caught up in our rivalry. But I always thought you were okay."

"Really?" Jimmy said nervously. "I always thought you were okay, too."

"I knew that." Cindy said, and Jimmy blushed again. "I mean, there was no reason we couldn't have a friendly rivalry. Um, except, it would have been a lot less fun." she grinned as Jimmy. "There's no reason we can't have a friendly rivalry now and fight still."

"No reason at all.. I kind of feel like you've been my friend all along anyway. I mean, at least you've always talked to me, and helped me out when I really needed it. Even if you were annoyed with me most of the time, it was still nice. And as far as our rivalry goes, I'm afraid you'll have to put aside your ambitions of beating me. I do have an IQ of-"

"Help!" Cindy pretended to be pushed against the wall. "I can't fit in here with Jimmy's ego!"

"Stop!" Jimmy insisted.

Cindy smiled, and laughed a little. It had been her first laugh in a while. "Okay, okay." she said. "So what do you say? Friends?" she held out her hand.

"Friends." Jimmy said, and then shook hands with Cindy. "But the rivalry must go on. I might not do my best work without a rival, and you are one of the few worthy in this school."

"You can say that again." Cindy said. "And by the way, I never liked Nick." she said, as she was energized again.

"No?" Jimmy said skeptically.

"No. I did just go after him because a lot of other girls liked him." Cindy said guiltily. "Plus if I went after the one I really liked, people would think I was weird." Cindy said quickly. "Now, where's-"

"Wait, who you really like? Don't tell me that someone actually captured Cindy's heart of ice." Jimmy said.

"I don't have a heart of ice." Cindy sighed, but then snickered at the concept. "And not that it's really _anyone's_ business, but I do have a crush." Cindy said.

"Really?" Jimmy asked.

"Really. But I'm not-"

"On who?" Jimmy asked quite curiously.

"I'm not telling."

"Please? You have to tell me now." Jimmy said.

"I don't have to do anything." Cindy insisted.

"You know I won't repeat it anywhere. I can keep a secret." Jimmy said.

"You're a blabbermouth." Cindy stated.

"Only when it comes to my knowledge of the universe. And I-"

"Oh fine, fine. If I tell you, do you promise to shut up about your knowledge of the universe?" Cindy asked. Jimmy eagerly nodded. "All right then." Cindy agreed. Jimmy suddenly found himself very nervous as Cindy paused. "And if you do tell anyone, you'll get this." she waved her fist at Jimmy. "Understand?"

"Uh huh." Jimmy said as his heart beat even faster.

"Okay..." Cindy paused, and looked away shyly. "The one I like..." she said, looking out onto the dance floor. Jimmy followed her gaze, but saw many people there, he couldn't pick out one that she might be looking at. "Is your date."

Jimmy's heart slowed to normal. "Oh." he said. So it wasn't him. He was both relieved and disappointed. Then he realized who she was talking about. "OH."

"Yeah, but it would never work out. So I keep my mouth shut. Like **you'd** better."

"Of course! Wouldn't dream of saying anything." Jimmy insisted.

"Good." Cindy said, and then there was an awkward moment of silence between them.

"Cindy?" Jimmy said.

"Yes, Jimmy?"

"I know I'm kind of short, and you don't like me as more than a friend, but do you think maybe... You'd like to dance with me? I'm not bad at it."

"You didn't teach him, did you?" Cindy asked as Sheen raced by with a bewildered Libby.

"No, no, he improvises on his own." Jimmy insisted.

"Well, I think it might be fun, then." Cindy smiled, and he took her hand.

"Hey guys, good to see you've made friendly with each oth-ER!!" Libby ended with a shout as Sheen spun her around again.

Cindy and Jimmy giggled as they slow danced together. Cindy was glad she'd thrown aside Nick, and basically thrown aside her popularity by agreeing to be friends with Jimmy. It was too much stress for too little output, anyway. Jimmy and his pals were alright. They'd have way more fun than the people she was trying to impress.

The dance ended, and Sheen looked around. "Who's next?"

"Your date, maybe?" Libby asked, as she dizzily looked around for Jimmy.

"She had to leave early. Don't know why though. Oh, hey Cindy!" Sheen grinned as he walked towards her.

"No way." Cindy elbowed Sheen in the ribs as he tried to get her for one of his crazy dances. Just because she was going to be friends with them didn't mean she had to do anything against her nature. "Carl, would you have this dance?" she asked the boy standing by the wall.

"A-All right Cindy." Carl said shyly

Sheen was stunned at her generosity. Even if it wasn't directed towards him, it was really surprising. Maybe people could change, after all. Even Cindy Vortex. He made it his mission to capture her for the next dance.

Before he could, a body came crashing through the windows. The person was mostly unhurt, especially for the fall he had taken, and stood up. "What was that?!" Nick asked, bewildered.

"Oh," Jimmy began, stepping near Nick. "You didn't go near my car, did you? Could you have possibly activated the anti-theft and vandalism system? A rock would have done it."

"You're gonna pay for this, Neutron." Nick said. He then grabbed Jimmy's shirt and raised his fist.

"Get him, Nick!" a random girl shouted.

"Yeah!" another agreed.

"He shouldn't be always setting up things that hurt innocent people." another of Jimmy's classmates nodded.

Cindy glared at Nick. This was her chance to prove herself. She could always say she was Jimmy's friend, and even hang out with him in public, but here was where she could really prove herself. Cindy stepped forward boldly. "Back off, Nick." she ordered. "I heard you joking about throwing rocks at cars, don't tell me you actually did."

Nick dropped Jimmy and turned towards Cindy. "Well, duh."

Now everyone was mad at Nick. "Were you the one that put oreos on everyone's cars?" one of the same girls that had been defending him now accused him.

"How about that graffiti on the basketball hoop?" a boy asked. "It did say 'Nick'!"

"Um..." Nick stuttered, he realized how he'd made a mistake. He shouldn't have let anyone know that he was responsible for anything.

"Probably." Cindy answered for him. "Just leave Jimmy alone, you practically asked to be thrown through that window." she said.

"Are you going to fight for Neutron or something, Cindy?" Nick asked.

"Oh _please_." Cindy said. "As if I would be that immature." she added, although she secretly mused on what a fight with him would be like. She'd win, certainly, but it would be a challenge.

"Well then I'll just-"

Before Nick could continue, another guy ran in, one even tougher looker than Nick. "So you're the one who put the boloney on my roof! It pealed off the paint, you freak!" he spoke.

"That was the point." Nick said. "I mean..." he didn't get a chance to say what he meant, as he made his quick get away. The tough boy as well as a chaperone ran after him.

"What a creep." a girl commented.

"Yeah. You know I used to have a crush on him?" another girl replied.

"Ew! No way!"

"Yeah, but no way anymore. You know, Jimmy's cooler than I thought, getting Nick back like that."

"Oh, totally!"

Cindy and Jimmy smiled at each other. Libby got in-between them, looking exhausted. "That's way too much excitement for me. I am spent." she said.

"Too much excitement?! Not nearly enough!" Sheen shouted. "The night is young! Right, Jimmy?"

"Right, Sheen. But I have a feeling that they'll be shutting down this dance pretty soon." Jimmy said.

"WHY?! Why always when things are just getting good?" Sheen sulked.

"Any ideas for what else we could do?" Jimmy asked.

"The Candy Bar is open for another hour." Cindy said. The rest of the group looked at her strangely.

"Cool! Then let's go!" Sheen shouted, and then he, Jimmy, Carl, Cindy, and Libby exited the gym together.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> 2014-style end notes: I don't even remember what the reaction on fanfiction.net was, it's been over a decade. Buuut I'm guessing it wasn't positive, and that's why I deleted it. The "twist" surprised me even re-reading it, though I was thinking to myself while reading it, did you really write J/C? J/C, not the pair itself but how it seemed like the fandom acted like there could be nothing else to the show in regard to other ships, gen, character focus, humor, etc., kind of bugged me at the time. So I'm guessing it being friendship not romance with the fandom's golden pair as well as references to non-conventional ships though it is friendship didn't go over well with the fandom at the time. Oh well, hope you all enjoyed it now.


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